FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a connector of a related art. A male connector 1 has a plurality of pins 2, and is provided on a substrate 5. A pair of guide pins 6 are also provided on the substrate 5. On the other hand, a female connector 7 is provided on a substrate different from the substrate 5 or a device 8. The device 8 has guide holes (not shown) in which the guide pins 6 are to be inserted. The guide pins 6 position the connectors 1 and 7 relative to each other during connection of the connectors 1 and 7, and make the connection smooth and accurate. Since the connectors 1 and 7 are connected by being guided by the guide pins 6, the pins 2 are insusceptible to damage such as bending.
To properly position and guide the connectors 1 and 7, the guide pins 6 need to extend perpendicularly to a surface of the substrate 5 and to be accurately located at designed positions. However, the guide pins 6 are sometimes not exactly perpendicular to the surface of the substrate 5 because of manufacturing errors and attachment errors of components. In this case, the connectors 1 and 7 are not smoothly and accurately guided during connection, and the pins 2 may suffer damage such as bending. Moreover, if the pins 2 suffer damage such as bending, it is highly likely that the connectors 1 and 7 cannot be connected electrically.
When the guide pins 6 are provided on the substrate 5, they reduce the available area on the substrate 5, and this reduces the flexibility in laying out wires, elements, etc. Similarly, the flexibility in laying out wires, elements, etc. on the device 8 is reduced by the guide holes provided in the device 8.